Martha Stewart Ginger Chicken Slaw Recipe

Crunchy cabbage, roasted chicken, and a ginger-lime dressing that wakes up the whole plate. Martha Stewart’s Ginger Chicken Slaw roasts bone-in chicken breasts brushed with a garlic and ginger mixture at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, shreds them, then tosses everything with Savoy cabbage, julienned carrots, lime juice, cilantro, and roasted cashews.

I make this Martha Stewart chicken salad recipe when I want a chicken dish that is healthy but actually satisfying. It is one of Martha Stewart’s best chicken recipes for meal prep because the slaw keeps its crunch in the fridge for days, and the ginger-garlic dressing tastes even better the next morning. A real Martha Stewart chicken salad that works as a full dinner or a packed lunch.

Try More Salad Recipes:

• Asian Chicken Salad
• Chicken Salad
• Coleslaw

Why You Will Love This Ginger Chicken Slaw:

• The ginger-garlic mixture does double duty: You cook ginger and garlic in coconut oil, split the mixture in two, and use half to season the chicken and half as the base for the dressing. I love that one step handles both jobs.
• It holds up for days: Most salads go limp overnight, but the cabbage and carrots in this slaw stay crunchy for up to 3 days in the fridge. I make a full batch on Sunday and eat it for lunch through Wednesday.
• Roasted chicken, not poached: Roasting the bone-in breasts at 425 degrees gives the meat way more flavor than boiling or poaching. You shred it after it cools and every piece has that roasted depth to it.

Ginger Chicken Slaw Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grated garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 small bone-in, skin-on chicken-breast halves (1 pound total)
• 4 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
• 2 cups peeled and julienned carrots
• Cilantro leaves and chopped roasted cashews, for serving

How To Make Martha Stewart Ginger Chicken Slaw

1. Cook the ginger and garlic: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small skillet, cook the ginger and garlic over medium heat in the coconut oil, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Make the dressing: Reserve 1 tablespoon of the ginger mixture and transfer the rest to a bowl. Whisk in the lime juice, lime zest, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast the chicken: Brush the reserved ginger mixture over the chicken breasts and season with salt. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until the skin is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part (without touching bone) reads 165 degrees, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
4. Toss and serve: Toss the shredded chicken, cabbage, and carrots with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with cilantro leaves and chopped roasted cashews.

Recipe Tips

• Use Savoy cabbage if you can find it: Martha calls for Savoy cabbage because it is more tender and sweeter than regular green cabbage. I have used green cabbage in a pinch, but you need to shred it much finer or it is too tough to eat raw.
• Grate the ginger and garlic into a paste: I use a microplane for both. You want a paste, not chunks. Big pieces of raw garlic in the dressing will overpower everything, and chunky ginger gets stringy.
• Add cilantro and cashews right before serving: Martha says to wait on these toppings, especially if you are meal prepping. The cilantro wilts and the cashews lose their crunch if they sit in the dressing overnight. I keep them in a separate bag.
• Boneless breasts work too: If you only have boneless skinless chicken breasts, Martha says to reduce the roasting time by 5 to 10 minutes. I check at 15 minutes and pull them when they hit 165 degrees.

What Goes Well With This Ginger Chicken Slaw

The ginger and lime in this slaw are punchy, so I pair it with something plain to balance things out. A bowl of steamed white rice underneath the slaw turns it into a rice bowl situation, which is honestly how I eat it most of the time. A side of Thai cucumber salad keeps the whole meal fresh and light.

For drinks, I make a big pitcher of lemonade with extra ice. The sweet-tart lemonade and the ginger-lime slaw are a perfect match on a warm day. I have also served this with store-bought potstickers on the side and it felt like a real meal.

How To Store Leftovers

This slaw is a meal prep dream. Store the dressed chicken, cabbage, and carrots together in an airtight container and it stays crunchy in the fridge for up to 3 days. The Savoy cabbage holds up much better than regular lettuce, and the ginger-lime dressing actually gets more flavorful as it sits. I would not freeze this because the cabbage goes soft and the carrots lose their snap.

The one thing I always do is keep the cilantro and cashews separate until I am ready to eat. If they sit in the dressing overnight, the cilantro goes dark and the cashews turn soggy. I pack them in a small container and toss them on at the last second. Cold from the fridge with a squeeze of extra lime, this is my favorite lunch all week.

FAQs

• Can I use green cabbage instead of Savoy? You can, but shred it as finely as possible. Martha recommends Savoy or Napa cabbage because they are more tender for eating raw. I have made it with regular green cabbage and it works, but the thinner you slice it, the better.
• What kind of coconut oil should I use? Martha says you can use either refined or virgin coconut oil. Refined has a more neutral flavor, virgin is more coconutty. I usually grab whatever is in the pantry. You can also swap it for grapeseed or vegetable oil if you do not have coconut oil.
• Can I make this vegetarian? Martha suggests swapping the chicken for extra-firm tofu. Press it to remove moisture, cut into pieces, toss with the ginger-garlic mixture, and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until crispy. I have not tried it myself but it sounds like it would work well with all that crunch.
• How do I julienne carrots? Cut each peeled carrot into 2 to 3-inch pieces, then slice each one lengthwise into thin planks. Stack the planks and cut lengthwise again into thin strips. I find it easier with a sharp chef’s knife than a mandoline for this size.

More Salad Recipes:

• Grilled Skirt Steak Salad
• Simple Coleslaw
• Chicken Taco Salad

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 310
• Total Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 85mg
• Sodium: 420mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 14g
• Protein: 32g